Georgia on my Mind
by Ultrawoman
Summary: One-Shot. Zoe needs to tell Wade how she feels before it's too late, but he's already on his way to Atlanta. [An alternate take on Zoe's confession and Wade's reaction in 3x22 Second Chance]


**A/N: This is how I pictured the end of Season 3 going, with Zoe confessing that she loved Wade and him reacting to that. I liked how the show handled it, but this is how I pictured it in my head and I knew I wasn't going to be completely happy until I wrote it down ;)**

 _ **(Disclaimer: All recognisable characters and any recognisable dialogue from Hart of Dixie belong to Leila Gerstein and other folks who aren't me).**_

Georgia on my Mind

If anyone had asked her to explain her actions, Zoe was pretty sure she couldn't, at least not beyond the fact that this was just something that she had to do. There was every chance she was about to make an idiot of herself (again) and live to regret her actions (again) but that wasn't going to stop her. This might be her last chance and she wasn't going to miss it, not after the confession Lemon had forced out of her.

The truth was, Zoe loved Wade, she had for a long time, but denial had seemed easier in the circumstances. Now, he was leaving, maybe forever, and as much as she tried to convince herself that it was better to be a good friend, wish him well, and let him go, Zoe couldn't do it. For once, she was going to fight for what she and Wade used to have, for what she hoped they could have again. He had done his part, now it was her turn.

Of course, she hadn't banked on travelling quite this far before she caught up to him, but at last, half way to Atlanta, she saw his car. It seemed Zoe had arrived just in time, as Wade exited the diner, headed to get back into his vehicle and leave. The tyres of Zoe's own car squealed as she swung into a parking space, catching Wade's attention. To say he looked stunned would have been the understatement of the century.

"Zoe?" he said as she got out of the car, the two of them meeting in the middle of the parking lot at last. "What in the heck are you doing here, doc? You do know this road heads to Atlanta?" he said, gesturing in the direction he intended to go.

"I do." She nodded, feeling weirdly breathless, as if she had run all the way there instead of driven. The drive had been gruelling enough, truth be told.

"Aren't you supposed to be at a wedding?" Wade frowned.

"I think it's safe to say they'll cope without me," Zoe noted, taking one step closer, "but the truth is, Wade, I... I'm not so sure that I can cope, without you."

His eyes closed and his expression looked pained when she said those words, but there was no way she was taking them back. In fact, she had a lot more left to say.

"Zoe, I don't-"

"No, please," she urged him, "hear me out. I know I screwed up. Trust me, I know," she said, inching a little closer. "Last year, when I was trying to leave town, you came after me. We stood by a fence, out back of a diner, just like this, and you... you told me you loved me."

"Trust me, I remember." Wade nodded, barely looking at her yet.

Zoe couldn't blame him. In the past year, Wade had done nothing wrong, nothing she could reproach him for where their relationship was concerned. She had done all of the damage this time around, and this was her one chance at fixing it.

"I've been thinking about that day a lot, especially lately, since you told me you were going away," she explained. "It's so crazy, I really thought that after everything, I could just be happy for you, and be a good friend, but the truth is... The truth is, Wade, I'm a lousy friend."

"Doc, you're not a lousy friend." Wade sighed. "I know what I said before but-"

"This isn't about anything you said," she assured him, "or it is, but not the stuff about me being a bad friend or anything," she tried to explain, finding it increasingly difficult now he was actually looking at her. "Wow, this is a lot harder than I thought it'd be," she said, taking a deep breath, fingers lacing and unlacing in front of her as she tried to start over. "You know when I told you the other day that you were stronger than me? I said it wasn't a compliment. At the time, I was literally talking about physical strength and your dad's leg and field medicine, which I can't exactly believe I'm bringing up right now," she said, shaking her head. "Anyway, the point is, you _are_ stronger than me. I don't think you were before, when we were together, but you are now. You were last year when you followed me out here and told me how you really felt, and now I have to be that strong. Wade, I am so proud of you for what you've achieved, with the Rammer Jammer and everything. The man you've become... you're kind of amazing, Wade Kinsella, and the truth is that... that I love you," she finally admitted, smiling even as she realised she was shaking. "I know I probably should have said it sooner. A few days ago would've been great, a few months would've been even better. Honestly, I probably should've admitted it a year ago when you did, but I got scared and stupid and I just-"

Her words were cut off abruptly, but in the best way, as Wade's hand slid behind her head and his lips covered hers. Zoe couldn't complain. In fact, this was one of the best outcomes she could have hoped for. Unfortunately, just as she was sinking into the moment, it was over. Still, it had to be a good sign that Wade was smiling when they parted.

"You were freaking out," he told her.

"A little," Zoe admitted, laughter bubbling in her throat.

This thing between them, it had started so long ago, right back to the first day they met even. She wondered how they ever let it go so wrong.

"Zoe, I never knew I could feel this way about anybody," said Wade then, his hand still in her hair. "Until you came along... it just never happened to me, and I know I screwed up, just about the worst way I could've-"

"I screwed up too," she told him quickly.

"Yeah, you did," Wade agreed, retracting his hands at last and stuffing them into his pockets, "but doesn't that just prove that this, whatever we have between us, it can't work out, no matter how much we want it to?"

Zoe felt her heart constrict at the sound of those words.

"No. No, it doesn't prove that," she said desperately. "Wade, we're not the same people we were when we met. After everything, we can't even be the people we were a year ago," she realised too late, "which means that maybe you just don't feel the same way about me now as you did then, and I wouldn't blame you if that were true, but the way I feel hasn't changed," she insisted. "I loved you then, even if I was really bad at admitting it," she said definitely, meeting Wade's eyes, "and I love you now, so much."

The smile was back, or a hint of it at least. Zoe was hanging onto that right now because it was all Wade was giving her to work with. He ran a hand over his face and looked away, as awkward as she felt apparently. After a while, Zoe had to say something, she just couldn't stand the waiting anymore.

"So...?"

"So," Wade echoed, taking a breath, "you really think I ever stood a chance in hell of getting over you, Zoe Hart?" he asked her then. "You made it impossible. Of course, I still love you. You're too stubborn to let me stop."

"Then don't we both deserve a second chance?" she said, unsure whether to laugh or cry as she reached for him. "Do you have to go to Atlanta? Couldn't you at least delay a couple of days, give me a chance to figure some things out?"

"What are you talking about?" Wade frowned.

"Well, if you really have to go, I guess I could learn to love Georgia," she said her hands gripping onto his arms. "I learned to love Alabama. It's not _so_ different, right?"

Wade's eyes grew wider with every word.

"You'd move to Atlanta?" he checked. "For me?"

"If it meant a second chance for us, yes." Zoe nodded definitely.

Wade shook his head, but he was grinning all the same.

"You are somethin' else, Zoe Hart."

"Was that a yes to the second chance?" she checked, unable to let herself believe it until she was really sure of his answer.

"Hell, yeah, it was a yes," he admitted, pulling her closer, "but not to movin' to Atlanta. Honestly? The whole suit and tie office job thing, it's not me anyway. I was already kind of looking for an excuse to turn it down and stay in Bluebell. Now I got a real good one," he said, smiling, right before he gave in and kissed her again.

They had both done their part in screwing up this relationship before, but thankfully, they had learnt their lessons and were more determined than ever to make it work this time around. Zoe and Wade couldn't know exactly what their future held, but they were in it together, and for the long haul this time. That was all that mattered.

The End

 **IMPORTANT: For those that don't know (and I'm sure everybody does by now, but whatever! lol) I'm watching Hart of Dixie for the first time and trying to avoid spoilers, so while I will be extremely grateful for any reviews I might get on this story, I would appreciate nothing that might spoil me for Season 4. Many thanks in advance** **:)**


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